Your Will and Purpose

In the solar system the Sun is the center around which all the other planets revolve, bound by its gravitational force. Similarly, in the birth chart the Sun represents the "center" of our personality, or the core of our being, around which all the other psychological drives and needs, symbolized by the planets, revolve.

Just as, in the solar system, the Sun is the source of light and life generating energy, so the Sun represents the source of consciousness and life within us all. It is our will to be and our sense of individuality. The birth chart, however, represents the solar system as seen from the earth, not the Sun. Most of us are not centered in our Sun, but in our earth-bound, or sense-bound ego. For most of us then, the Sun represents our "Higher Self" or Spirit. It is the immortal spark of the universal spirit which is uniquely ourselves, as opposed to our transient and mortal ego centered personality. The Sun is therefore what we are striving to become.

Sun in Leo

Living Through Crating - Child of the Sun - I Am my Own Role Model

Your essential purpose in life is to bring warmth, light and vitality to whatever you regard as important. Thus you generate more brightness and creativity. In order to achieve this, you have a radiance, an inner glow, which quite magically draws the attention of others. This same quality then lends an air of certainty to whatever it is that you have involved yourself with. What could be called your royal seal of approval bestows a confidence upon whomever or whatever meets with your approbation.

The trouble is that your curse is as disastrous as your blessing is great. And the curse of Leo is, of course, pride. Your pride makes you vulnerable to being taken in vain - and when you feel taken in vain, your bright sun goes behind a dark cloud. (Some Leos are even born with their sun behind that cloud). When it re-emerges you are very wary of having your pride wounded again and anything that alludes to this - like advice or criticism - you disdainfully ignore or haughtily put in its place.

However, when you are the Leo who does put pride aside, who is aware that the sun cannot see its own shadow, and who gracefully accepts constructive advice or criticism, you become like the Sun itself - utterly inextinguishable, ever-giving and ever-warm, funny and romantic, the noble ruler, the creative teacher - the healing heart. You, of all the Signs, have the Light. All you need do is shine.

Your Needs and Emotional Responses

In the birth chart, the Moon is second in importance only to the Sun. Unlike the other planets the Moon orbits the earth, and seen from the earth is the same size as the Sun (hence the possibility of total eclipses). The Moon gives off no light of its own, however, but reflects and polarizes the light of the Sun.

The Moon represents memories, feelings and instinctive responses that lie just below the level of consciousness. As the Moon orbits the earth, it generates the movements of the tides and governs other natural cycles, such as the menstrual cycle in women. The Moon therefore symbolizes the ebb and flow of feeling and emotion (symbolized by water in Astrology), and the feminine principle in nature and in the individual.

Moon in Taurus

Security Through Stability - Child of Nature - Bounty or Burden

Your reigning need is to feel emotionally stable and materially secure. The former is taken care of by the fact that you are reluctant to pursue any idea or activity that is going to rock the boat, coupled with the fact that you do have a fairly unflappable nature. Ironically, however, when a change is required you could be slow to act, or become bored, to the point of unbalancing your position.

Where material stability is concerned, you have a natural sense of the importance of property and income. From the word go, you use your developed market instincts and sense of value to satisfy this need. The danger here is that you can let material considerations blind you to your emotional and psychological requirements. In any event though, you are unlikely to get caught without the material wherewithal, and providing there isn't a mean streak in your personality, you can be of great material support and assistance to others who are less financially 'together'.

Perception and Mentality

In the birth chart, Mercury represents the urge to communicate with and exchange information with others. In the mind, it represents our rational thought processes, or the ability to analyse and reach logical conclusions. In the body, it is the nervous system, which coordinates and unifies all the different bodily functions into an organised whole. Mercury can be said to represent electricity in the form of information. Mercury therefore rules all forms of communication and exchange of information, and the ability to organise facts into a consistent view of the world.

In mythology, Mercury is the messenger of the gods and is the closest planet to the Sun. Along with Venus it is one of the inferior planets, that is, its orbit lies within the earth's orbit.

Mercury's sign indicates how one thinks and communicates, that is, the way in which our thoughts are expressed, and the way in which we receive such information from the world around us.

Mercury in Leo

Thinking Through Creating - The Ideas Person - Respect Your Critics

Yours is a creative mind - a mind that likes to play and thereby come up with creative ideas. Consequently you can be known for your distinctive and humorous verbal style. You identify strongly with the way you think and take pride in doing so. The price that you pay for such a vital mentality is that of either over playing or under playing your hand; the reason being that you're frightened of not making a big enough impression, or of looking ridiculous. In the end, you have to have the courage to put your money where your mouth is - and rely upon your undeniably bright mind to pick up the mental thread should you lose it.

Attraction and Harmony

In the birth chart, Venus, like Mercury, lies within the orbit of the earth. If Mercury can be likened to electricity in the form of information, then Venus can be likened to the magnetic field generated by the electric current. One of the meanings of Venus is therefore "personal magnetism".

In mythology Venus is the goddess of love. In the birth chart, Venus represents the social and love urge, and the need for harmony and exchange of feelings and affection with others. Venus is our need to form relationships and our power to attract such relationships. It is also our sense of values, based on what attracts or repels us.

Venus' sign shows how we express these needs to others and the kind of response we need in order to feel in harmony. Our responses may not always be what we consciously desire but are often necessary in order to force us to recognise some unexpressed part of ourselves.

Venus in Libra

Loving Through Relating - The Aesthete - The Social Touchstone

You are a social or artistic touchstone and therefore have a natural sense of beauty and harmony, which you express in a social or artistic way. The inherent weakness of your aesthetic awareness is that you are very easily attracted to good-looking surface appearances - especially in a sexual, glamorous or romantic context. This is a bittersweet situation for you because your undeniable charm or artistry has no trouble attracting popularity, pleasure and even wealth, but you can become a slave to your vanity and appetites. Nonetheless, you are still a social or creative asset - and you certainly know what pleases.

Self-Assertion and Sexual Drive

Mars is the first planet in the series out from the Sun that is outside the orbit of the earth. As the first superior planet, Mars represents energy directed outward from the self into the world. It is the energy to initiate action and the ability to meet challenges and overcome obstacles. In mythology, Mars is the god of war. In the birth chart, Mars is the self-assertive and aggressive urge, the sex drive and the need to achieve our desires. Positively, Mars is expressed as courage, initiative, and the will-power to pursue our goals. Negatively expressed, Mars is impatience, violence and the use of force or threats.

Mars' sign position and aspects to Mars in the chart show how we assert ourselves and express our desires. Mars is traditionally a masculine planet, and therefore represents the expression of the male ego. In a women's chart, the energy of Mars is often repressed by social and family conditioning, and indicates how she will experience the male ego through the men around her, whether positively or negatively expressed. It is, however, becoming increasingly possible for women to break away from traditional passive roles, and express their own Martian drives, but this is often not completely successful until after the age of about 30.

Mars in Libra

Getting Through Relating - The Social Mover - Balance Your Impulses

You aim to get what you want and to please others at the same time. If successful in this you are quite the social mover. When, more commonly, this is not the case, you are left with the extreme alternatives of either satisfying your desires by being involved in something, which only concerns yourself, or being an indecisive yes-person - or see-sawing between the two.

There is therefore a danger of your becoming insular or ineffectual, whether it is in a business or a sexual situation. As if to force the issue then, you are attracted to quite pushy or quick-tempered partners so, sooner or later, you'll have to get in touch with your own powers of self-assertion and be more unequivocal. Until then, unless you are happy in the role of social buffer or arbitrator, you can be uncomfortably over-sensitive to the reactions and opinions of others. Always remember: you cannot please everyone.

Faith and Understanding

The planets up to and including Mars have been concerned with the establishment of ourselves as individuals, and with the satisfaction of our own needs and desires. The planets beyond Mars connect us with a larger order.

As the largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter represents expansion and growth. It is the urge to grow beyond our individual limitations and the need to feel part of a larger order, whether this be a particular religion, philosophy or social system. Jupiter, the king of the gods, is traditionally the bestower of faith, optimism and the ability to expand and prosper. It is the planet that promotes personal growth, gives us confidence in ourselves and trust in a higher power or greater plan. Negatively, Jupiter can manifest as over-confidence, irresponsibility and the tendency to over-extend ourselves or promise too much.

Jupiter's sign position of and aspects to Jupiter in the chart show what kinds of experiences and types of activity create an inner faith and optimism, and the sense of being connected to the larger scheme of things.

Jupiter in Libra

Growing Through Relating - The Social Animal - The Peacemaker

Your philosophy of life has mainly to do with your sense of justice, as you experience it in a personal way within your one-to-one relationships. It can also come from how you perceive it, or the lack of it, in society in general. In other words, your faith in life rests upon a belief that justice exists. If it does not - or it appears not to - your faith diminishes.

Conversely, when you're aware that justice prevails, you feel happy to go on. What you have to bear in mind is that justice is not always apparent on a surface level. By its very nature, justice often has to be sought - be it in your mind or a court of law.

Lessons and Responsibilities

Saturn is the last planet in the solar system that can be seen with the naked eye from the earth. As such, together with the fact that it is bounded by a series of rings, Saturn represents the boundaries of the individual.

After the limitless expansion of Jupiter, Saturn in the birth chart represents boundaries and limitations. It is the principle of structure and form. In the body, it is the skeleton, which gives the body its structure, and the skin, which is the boundary to the outside world. In the mind, it is the structure of our ego and our sense of self which we seek to preserve from the impact of changes from within and from the outside world. Saturn gives us the ability to endure setbacks and work with discipline and patience toward well-defined aims. It is the need for social approval through some kind of tangible achievement. Whereas Jupiter brings rewards and opportunities through what we might call good luck, Saturn brings rewards and opportunities through hard work, limitation and self-discipline.

Saturn's sign position of and aspects to Saturn show how we seek to establish ourselves as individuals and find our place in the social system of which we are a part. Any form or structure, however, when placed in the light of the Sun tends to cast a shadow. The position of Saturn in the chart therefore, shows where we find our "shadow". It is here that we meet with our greatest sense of inadequacy, lack of faith and inhibitions. Saturn shows where we are most fearful, and hence most rigid; but if these fears can be met and overcome it is the source of our greatest strength and a solid foundation from which to meet the world.

Saturn in Leo

Tested in Creating - Rule Thyself - Or Be Ruled Over

You are learning to establish your self-esteem without getting too big for your boots and to command respect without being dictatorial. Where you're concerned, self-importance when carried too far attracts a fall from grace. However, seeing that Saturn often represents doubt, fear and what you're not sure of, there is a strong likelihood of your being so anxious about that possible fall from grace that you hide your light under a bushel.

This is hardly putting yourself to the test though, so Saturn makes sure that something else comes into your life - in some form of authority or suppression such as a parent, a partner, school, church or government, or a certain imposed responsibility - that forces you to develop your potentials rather than allowing you to bemoan your fate.

Awakening and Freedom

The Outer planets: The planets beyond Saturn:- Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, move through the signs so slowly that the sign positions of these planets refer more to the generation of which we are a part, rather than individual characteristics. It is the house position that shows where we will meet with the principles expressed by these planets in our lives. The aspects of these planets to the personal planets indicate our degree of attunement to the principles they represent.

The trans-Saturnian planets cannot be seen without the aid of a telescope. Therefore they represent powerful forces that are beyond conscious control. These planets connect us with forces and levels of reality beyond our experience as individual human beings. They do this by breaking down the boundaries of the ego (symbolized by Saturn), to allow the inflow of higher ideals and goals into our ego-centered minds. This can often mean the total disruption or destruction of our existing lives, goals, or outer and inner structures in order to make this possible.

Uranus is the first of the trans-Saturnian planets. It cannot be seen with the naked eye and was discovered in 1781 during the period of the American and French revolutions. Its discovery was made possible by the invention of the telescope, a development that has led to radical changes in our knowledge of the universe and our place in it.

In the birth chart then, Uranus represents the force for revolutionary change, the breaking from tradition, and inventiveness and experimentation. As one of the three planets that cannot be seen with the unaided eye, Uranus represents a force over which we have little or no conscious control. On an individual level, Uranus indicates our degree of independence and demand for personal freedom. If well starred it gives us originality and an attunement to truth that goes beyond the logic of Mercury. If we refuse to express the energy of Uranus within us, preferring to cling to the traditions and limitations of Saturn, then Uranus may manifest as disruptions and sudden changes in our immediate environment, sometimes disrupting our lives completely and forcing us to make needed changes. If the energy of Uranus is expressed negatively, it can lead to willfulness, impatience and needless rebellion, the rebel without a cause.

Uranus' sign position of in the chart shows where we most feel the need for freedom and independence and the need to experiment with new ideas and ways of living. Conversely, it is the area where we can cause the most disruption and needless change.

Uranus in Gemini

Awakening Through Communicating

You belong to a generation (born during the early to late 1940's or between April 2026 and May 2033) whose intention is to reform thinking patterns, and the use of the written and spoken word, or to institute social change through the use of the written and spoken word. Your generation also aims to bring the fruits of science, technology and metaphysics into the everyday sphere of human activity.

Sensitivity and Spirituality

After Uranus comes Neptune, the god of the sea. Whereas Uranus is the urge for individual freedom and independence, Neptune is the urge to escape from our normal sense-bound state of consciousness, and experience our unity with a different level of reality.

In the birth chart, Neptune represents our higher ideals and our attunement to realities that lie beyond that perceived by the senses. It is the realm of dreams and imagination and our sense of being part of a whole which is greater than ourselves, the awareness of a spiritual dimension to existence. Neptune represents the urge to transcend our normal state of consciousness through meditation and mystical experience, music, dreams and flights of the imagination, or through drugs (including alcohol) which afford us a temporary escape from the mundane grind of living. Neptune can be expressed as high ideals, altruism and spiritual values, or as self-destructive escapism and evasion of responsibilities. For most of us it is a mixture of both.

Neptune's sign position in the chart shows where and how we seek to express these needs, and in what areas of our lives we tend to seek an often impossible ideal.

Neptune in Libra

Unifying Through Relating

You belong to the Neptunian generation born between 1942 and 1957. As this generation came of age, the whole Libran realm of love and marriage, art and music, and society in general, came under Neptune's subtle spell. This gave rise to an increased sensitivity towards relating and sexual equality, with confusion and soaring divorce rates not far behind. Whether or not you see yourself as an active part of it, this was also the 'love' generation who marched for peace, gathered in great numbers at music festivals, experimented with psychedelic drugs and embarked upon a more universal quest for spiritual meaning - or for an escape from mundane reality.

Power and Transformation

Pluto is the outermost planet in the solar system and therefore the slowest moving. At certain times however, due to the high eccentricity of its orbit, it comes closer to the earth than Neptune. This is the case up until the end of the 20th century. At the same time it is passing through Scorpio, the sign that it rules. This is a very critical period in world history, since Pluto represents powerful forces of death and destruction or change and transformation, which are now at their strongest. This can lead to destruction through nuclear war or our pollution and exploitation of our planet. On the other hand it can lead to the death of the present political and economic systems and the birth of new political and economic systems and a transformation in international relations and our relationship to our planet. By the time Pluto has left Scorpio in 1999 the issue will probably be decided one way or the other.

In the individual birth chart, Pluto's sign represents the urge for power and control either over ourselves or others. It is the need to penetrate beneath the surface of experience, to reveal hidden motivations and repressed desires. The position of Pluto in the chart indicates our capacity for self-regeneration or rebirth and our attitude towards beginnings and endings and birth and death, either actual or symbolic. Pluto can be expressed as the acceptance of our need for complete transformation in some area of our life, and the courage to face our deepest compulsions and hang-ups. Or, it can be expressed as the wilful manipulation of others, ruthlessness and an infatuation with power.

Pluto in Leo

Empowering Through Creating

You are a member of the Plutonian generation (1937 -1958) that, apart from many other things, saw World War II and the advent of nuclear power and the atomic bomb. All this shifted the world into a process of transformation from which it could no more retreat than a nuclear power station could be closed down overnight. This transformative power (which forces us to contact the hidden origins of all things) is now unleashed and your personal role in this global psychodrama is revealed below.